GENERAL HISTORY. 



[53 



ment of the navy for the year 

 1818." 



Sir M. JV, Ridley said, that he 

 did not mean to oppose the vote 

 proposed, in any of its items, 

 except that which referred to the 

 puisne lords of the Adrairahy, in 

 which he thought some alteration 

 was absolutely necessary. He 

 should therefore move, as an 

 amendment, that the proposed 

 grant should be reduced in the 

 sum of 2,000/. which was now ap- 



f>lied as the salaries of two of the 

 ords of the Admiralty, who, in 

 his firm opinion, could be dis- 

 pensed with without any detri- 

 ment to the public service. On 

 a former occasion, when he made 

 a motion for the reduction of two 

 out of six lords of the Admiralty, 

 it was urged as an objection, that 

 these places were necessary, as 

 they gave an opportunity to mi- 

 nisters to assist their friends, and 

 also, that they were necessary as 

 affording a fit school for the edu- 

 cation of J'oung statesmen. This 

 was, in effect, the defence then 

 set up for the continuance of 

 places which were wholly unne- 

 cessary ; and if he had not heard 

 such arguments gravely stated in 

 their favour, he should not have 

 felt it his duty to be so strong in 

 opposition to them. It was said 

 on that occasion, that if these 

 situations were abolished, the 

 Crown would be deprived of a 

 portion of its fair patronage. For 

 himself, he conceived that no 

 place which was in itself useless 

 ought to be kept merely to 

 strengthen the patronage of the 

 Crown, which was already so 

 great. But with respect to the 

 ground of educating young states- 

 men, he thought that the com- 



mittee would agree with him that 

 the young statesman ought to 

 pay for his own education. Why 

 a nursery should be establish- 

 ed at the Admiralty for politi- 

 cians in particular, he was at a 

 loss to guess. He had been fa- 

 voured with the sight of a work 

 which had been not long ago pub- 

 lished by a gentleman connected 

 with the Admiralty -board (Mr. 

 Croker) which was, perhaps, to 

 form part of the plan of educa- 

 tion. It was intituled " Stories 

 for Young Children," and he had 

 no doubt was intended for the 

 improvement of some of these 

 sucking statesmen. He could 

 not, however, but disapprove of 

 the work being put into such in- 

 experienced hands ; for in one 

 part of it a great deal was said in 

 favour of Charles I, and of his 

 being an excellent man and a 

 good king. He did not think 

 such doctrine was likely to im- 

 prove the constitutional education 

 of the young lords of the Admi- 

 ralty. But this was not the only 

 literary production which ema- 

 nated from the Admiralty-board, 

 for there wei-e several, no doubt, 

 very valuable articles which ap- 

 peared in the Quarterly Review, 

 originating from the same source, 

 and all for the instruction and 

 improvement of tl^ young states- 

 men. 



The hon. baronet concluded by 

 moving, as an amendment, the 

 defalcation of two thousand 

 pounds of the sum proposed by 

 Sir G. Warrender. 



Lord Castlereagh said, he did 

 not rise for the purpose of argu- 

 ing the question which had be- 

 fore been decided, respecting the 

 propriety of keeping up the pre- 

 sent 



